Disconnecting device for telephones.



c. 'ALGER.

DISCONNECTING DEVICE FOR TELEPHONES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2. 1916.

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Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

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CHARLES H. ALGER, OF MANCHESTER, OKLAHOMA.

DISCONNECTING DEVICE FOR TELEPHONES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

- Application filed February 2, 1916. Serial N 0. 75,820.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. ALGER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Manchester, in the county of Grant and State of Oklahoma,have invented newand useful Improvements inDisconnecting De vices forTelephones, of which the following. is a specification.

This invention relates to certain novel and useful improvements indevices for disconnecting telephone instruments from the line wires andhas particular application to a manually operable disconnecting device.

In carrying out the present invention, it is my purpose to provide adisconnecting device of the class described whereby, in the event of anelectrical storm or the like the telephone instrument may bedisconnected from the line manually and the line wire connected to theground so that a lightning discharge or other high tension currenttraversing the line may be grounded.

It is also my purpose to provide a disconnecting device for telephoneinstruments which may be located upon the exterior of the dwelling houseor other structure in which a telephone instrument is installed andoperated from the interior of such structure, and wherein the componentparts will be so arranged and correlated as to reduce the possibility ofderangement to a minimum and operate efficiently and effectively underall conditions.

WVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in thecombination, construction and arrangement of parts set forth in andfalling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings :F igure 1 is a vertical sectional viewthrough a disconnecting device constructed in accordance with my presentinvention, the same being shown installed. Fig. 2 is a horizontalsectional View on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectionalview on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, 1 designates a portion of abuilding wall and formed in such wall is an opening extending from theinner side of the wall to the outer side thereof. Disposed within thisopening is a bushing 2 of insulating material and secured to the innerside of the wall is a plate 3 formed with an opening coaxial with thebushing 2, while secured to the outer surface of the wall is a box-likecasing 4 having the back wall thereof formed with an opening inalinement with the bushing. Fastened to the inner surface of the backwall of the casing t below the opening therein is a bracket 5 of somesuitable construction, and secured to the bracket 5 adjacent to theouter end thereof and projecting outwardly from the bracket at rightangles thereto is a pivot pin 6.

7 indicates a vertical lever having a slot 8 formed therein between theends thereof and through the slot 8 is placed the pin 6.

9 designates a vertical contact strip having the upper end bent backupon itself into substantially inverted U-shape, and the lower extremityoffset. The upper bent portion of the strip is fastened to the innerside of the outer wall of the casing 1 adjacent to the wall of suchcasing while the lower offset portion is'secured to the inner surface ofthe outer wall of the casing adjacent to the bottom wall and owing tothe upper bent end of the strip and the lower oflset end, the centralportion of the strip is spaced apart from the inner surface of the frontwall, as clearly illustrated in Fig. l of the drawing. Slidably mountedwithin the bushing 2 is a rod 10 having one end projecting through theopening in the plate 3 and extending into the building, and the otherend projecting through the opening in the back wall of the casing 1, andthrough an opening in the upper portion of the strip 9. The end of therod 10 within the opening at the strip is preferably tapered as at 11 soas to insure a snug contact between the rod and the strip. Surroundingthe end portion of the rod 10 within the casing 4: and capable oflongitudinal adjustment along such rod is a tapering sleeve 12 formed oftwo longitudinal sections 13 and threaded on to the sleeve 12 is acollar 14: adapted, when moved in one direction, to bind the sleeve tothe rod so as to hold the sleeve in the desired adjusted position, andwhen moved in the opposite direction to release the sections of thesleeve so that the latter may be adjusted along the rod. One end of thespring 12 is connected to the upper extremity of the lever 7 through themedium of eyes 15 carried by the sleeve and lever respectively, whilefastened to the lower end of the lever 7 is an S-shaped contact spring16 adapted to move into and out of engagement with the contact strip 9.

The inner end of the rod 10 is equipped with a knob 17 whereby such rodmay be moved longitudinally in one direction or the other and the innerend of the rod is adapted to be connected to one side of the-telephoneinstrument by means of a wire 18, while connected to the upper end ofthe strip 9 is one of the line wires 19. The Sshaped Contact spring 16on the lower end of the lever 7 is connected to the ground through themedium of a wire 20.

Normally the tapered end 11 of the rod 10 is in engagement with thestrip 9 while the S-shaped spring 16 is disengaged from said strip 9 andthe lever 7 held in vertical position. In this condition of the device,the telephone instrument is connected to the line wire and may be usedin the usual manner. When, however, it is desired to break theconnection between the telephone instrument and the line wire and toground the line wire, as in the event of a pending electrical storm, therod 10 is moved in one direction by means of a knob 17 to disengage thetapered end 11 of the rod from the strip 9 and in this movement of therod the lever 7 is swung about the pin 6 and engages the contact spring16 with the strip 9. Thus, the connection between the line and thetelephone set is broken and the line connected to the ground.

In the present instance, the wall of the opening in the plate 3 and thebore of the bushing 2 are formed with alining groves 21 and connected tothe rod 10 adjacent to the outer end thereof is a spring finger 22adapted to lie within said grooves when the rod is at its limit ofinward movement, and to frictionally engage the walls of the grooves tohold the rod in adjusted position. Upon the sliding of the rod todisengage the inner end thereof from the strip 9, the finger 22 springsout of the grooves and abuts the outer surface of the plate 3 to preventaccidental movement of the rod in the opposite direction.

While I have herein shown and described certain preferred forms of myinvention by way of illustration, I wish it to'be understood that I donot confine myself to the precise details of construction hereindescribed and delineated as modification and variation may be madewithin the scope of the claims and without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

1. A device of the class described comprising a contact strip adaptedfor connection to a telephone line wire, a movable rod normally engagingsaid strip and adapted to be connected to a telephone set and capable ofmovement out of engagement with said strip, a lever pivoted for swingingmovement and having one end connected to said rod and the remaining endconnected to the ground and adapted to be swung into engagement withsaid strip in the movement of said rod out of engagement with saidstrip.

2. A device of the class described, comprising a contact strip adaptedfor connection to a. telephone line wire, a movable rod normallyengaging said strip and adapted to be connected to a telephone set andcapable of movement out of engagement with said strip, a lever pivotedfor swinging movement and having one end connected to said rod and theremaining end connected to the ground and adapted to be swung intoengagement with said strip in the movement of said rod out of engagementwith said strip, and an adjustable connection between said lever androd.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. ALGER.

Witnesses L. A. LANHAM, HENRY Henson.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

